Improved steering apparatus



` i UNITED ,STATES PATENT `EEICE.

WILLTAMP. HUNT` AND IEAH D. SPAULDING., or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSieNoEs To WM. P. HUNT, or SAME PLAGE;

IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS.

letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specification.

The nature of' our invention relates, first, tocertain parts Yused to connect in an improved and self-equalizing or self-adjusting manner the traversing n ut to the rudder-head; second, to an advantageous arrangement of springs to produce an elastic or yielding action of the frame of the steerer While turning or holding the rudder-head; third, to the construction of the hoop for the rudder-head and its connection to the rudder, all substantiaily as hereinafter represented and deseribed,the said invention being an improvement on a steerer invented and patented A. D. 1855 bv one Jesse Reed and upon others of its class. 4

With reference to theaceompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of a ships steel-er as improved by us. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an elevation of one end. Fig. 4 is a sectional View. Fig. 5 represents several views illustrating the sphericallyheaded studs and the sliding socket-blocks,

hereinafter described. Fig. G is a view of oneV end to illustrate an approved mode of secu ring the sprin gs and also of securing the stands against any liability to be thrown out of their proper position. Fig. 7 is a plan of the rudder-head.

A is the rudders upper end.

B is the rudder-head.

C is a screw furnished with two threads winding in opposite directions, one being a right-hand thread and the other a left-hand thread.

D D are nuts, one fitted to the right-hand thread and the other to the left-hand, and are thus madeto move in opposite directions by the turning of the screw.

E E are stands, in which are firmly fastened, with suitable screws and nuts and adjustingkeys, the guides F. The guides F firmly connect the stands E and guide the nuts D D, which traverse back and forth between them by the action of the Screw.

G is a hand-wheel by which to rotate the screw..

lvl H are spherically-headed studs. These studs are securely fitted to the nuts D and fastened by a suitable nut, the Spherical head projecting downward. To this head are fitted the socket-blocks I, which are made in halves and connected by the straps. (Seen in Fig. 5.) These blocks are free to turn to a certain extent in alldirections upon the spherical heads of studs H, so that when fitted into the grooves d in the rudder-head and made to play back and forth by its circular motion they shall in no case have a tendency to bind, however much the rudder-head or the nuts may be strained out of theirproper position.

Vithoutour improvement the studs are furnished with an unyielding square or rectangular head, which, being fitted to the groove in the rudder-head, is liable to bind and become immovable .whenever by extra strain or otherwise the rudder or the nuts are either thrown out of their proper position. W'ith our improvementv this cannot occur, as the socket-blocks I readily adj ust themselves to the sides of the groove, and this feature, too, renders it unnecessary to exercise so great care to adjust the Screw and slides so. as to make the axis of the rudder perpendicular to them, as is required when our improvement is not used. The load or labor upon the studs is not so Severe in our case, because it is always presented at thel center of the sphere,

While in others it is liable to come upon the.. extreme end, while we at the same time make" available for wear the full Surface of the blocks side.

The Stands E, being rigidly connected as before named, are adjusted upon the timbers J between the brackets K, which are made fast and firm upon said timber ,or support. To each end of the standsF. are litted springs L, of rubber or other suitable material, and a suitable cap M is then interposed between them and the brackets K. Then a suitable screw N being fitted to the bracket is screwed up, forcing the caps M against the Springs until they are compressed to the proper degree. This arrangement removes from the stcerer all objectionable rigidity and gives it an elastic 0r yielding action upon the nuts and rudder, While the screw is not required to move in its own bearings at all,except to rotate, but the stands, guides, and nuts all move together. Thus we obtain an apparatus which is at once more perfect'and substantial than when springs are applied to the screws directly, and one of less cost.

The rudder-head Il is made in halves and may be of cast-iron or other suitable material. This head is fitted to the upper end of the rudder, so as to leave a space for the strips of rubber P, and is also furnished with flan ges and suitable bolts b, by means of which the rubber P may be suitably compressed upon the upper part of the rudder, and the head thereby coniiued to the rudder firmly and yet not rigidly, the elasticity of the rubber allowingr a slight movement of the rudder within the head in all `cases of severe strain. The usual lugs or projections to be let into the rudder may be cast within the head, but the corresponding grooves in the wood of the rudder` should be enlarged in thickness, so as to allow the described action of the rubber before the iron and wood come into contact. The studs H may be made ot' wroughtiron or steel or other suitable material.

The general operation will be readily comp rehended by reference to the drawings. The hand-Wheel being rotated in one direction `gives motion to screw C, which causes one half-nut to move in one direction and the other in an opposite one, thus causing the rudder-head to be turned in a direction corre- Isponding to that of the hand-wheels motion. 'lhe rudder-head thus receiving` a circular movement, makes it necessary that the blocks l, which necessarily move parallel to slides F, should slip freelyback and forth in the grooves a in the rudder-head, which they freely do under all reasonable conditions, as above described. When the hand-wheel is turned in the opposite direction, each half-nut is reversed in its movement and the rudder is turned inthe opposite direction. Vhen any sudden torsional strain occurs upon the rudder during these operations, the springs L at once yield to a certain extent, whole screw-frame composed of stands E and the slides F to yield in the direction of the strain, and at the same moment the head B is allowed to yield slightly upon the rudder or the rudder within the head, and thus by the action of springs L and rubber P the various parts are protected from damage by the suddenness of the strains to which'the rudder is subjected, while the universal stud H prevents any undue friction or binding in the grooves a and the steerer is rendered much more safe from damage and easily operated than without our improvements.

Thus having described the construction and operation of our improvements, What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is as follows:

l. Forming the connection between the traversing nut D and the rudder-head by means of the spherically-headed studs H and the sliding socket-blocks I or in any combination of parts substantially equivalent to a universal joint, the said studs and blocks being constructed and ar-ranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The arrangement of the springs Lwith reference to and in combination with the stands E, said stands being rigidly connected to each other and supporting the screw, substantially as described.

3. Clamping the elastic medium P within the rudder-head, said head being constructed substantially as described, for the purpose set forth. f

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

XVM. P. HUNT. IRAH D. SPAULDING.

Witnesses:

GILEs H. RICH, WM. D. A. WHITMAN.

allowing the 

